LU asks private power
companies about land utilization

The land utilization authorities in Sindh’s Board of Revenue (BoR) have started gathering data on the land allotted to private companies for setting up renewable power plants in the province.
Some half a decade back, the Sindh government had allotted over 7 thousand acres of land to some 15 private companies that intended to set up power plants in the province claiming to have facilitated local investors to put their money in renewable power generation.
Since it’s almost 5 years, the department requires to know if the land is utilized for the purpose it was allotted for, says a report.
The LU department has written letters to the companies asking them to reply in two weeks.
As per agreements reached with the allottees the lease on the land would stand canceled if it was not utilized for the purpose of building of power generation unit. It was obligatory to start work on the project within the first six months after the allotment of the land, it says.
If the land is not utilized for the project and the purpose specified in lease documents then the government is authorized to lease such land to other investors and authorities will not be liable to issue any notice or refund the amount paid for the land.
The companies which have been asked to furnish details include Thatta Solar Part (Pvt.) Ltd which was to set up a 20-megawatt power generation unit on 120 acres of land allotted to the company.
Indus Energy was supposed to set up a 50-megawatt unit for which the company had been allotted 428 acres of land.
Gul Ahmed Energy had got 370 acres of land for setting up a 50-megawatt power project.
Artistic Milliners had been allotted 462 acres for the generation of 60 megawatts.
Metro wind Limited was allotted 410 acres, Zulekha was allotted 322 acres for a 50-megawatt project, Noor Solar Energy was allotted 330 acres, Green Energy Limited was allotted 360 acres, Din Energy Limited was allotted 325 acres for generating 50 Megawatts, and Telecom Wind Power was allotted 347 for 50 megawatts.
Also, MCC Limited was allotted 500 acres for setting up a 100 megawatts power project.
Lakeside Energy was to generate 50 megawatts and was allotted 345 acres of land and ACT2 Wind was to generate 50 megawatts on 320 acres.
Norinco International Cooperation Ltd was to set up 50X2 megawatts power projects and the company was allotted 2500 acres of land. – By Sagheer Chandio